in the declaration, that I consider this as the proudest moment of my existence. In public favour there have been-there will be, those who hold a superior rank to myself: I truly value the public approbation, but the favour I have gained in the opinion and attachment of my professional colleagues is most flattering to the best feelings of my heart, and the recollection of it shall never be defaced from my memory. It has ever been my study to obtain their good opinion, and this token of their regard I proudly conceive to be a testimony of the success of my endeas

Yours.

"I shall study to be brief, but I must be insensible if I did not truly appreciate the honour conferred upon me in the present tribute, and the past attention of the father of the stage. A just and commendable prejudice exists in favour of early impressions, and a compliment is increased when it comes from å veteran who remembers and venerates the old school-by whom the talents of GARRICK, of BARRY, and KING, are held in reverence, and who trod the stage along with them. The approbation of Mr. Palmer, therefore, comes to me with peculiar gratefulness.

"Permit me to conclude by saying, that however honourable to my feelings! should receive this valuable mark of your commendation with diffidence, did not my heart whisper me that my professional success gratifies me the most, by its affording me the means of serving those who may not have been so fortunate as myself for I trust that no one, how ever hostile, can say of me that I am changed by good fortune. I now beg leave to offer you, collectively and individually, my sincere thanks, assuring you that it shall always be my study to, preserve your good wishes, and that the memory of this hour will be engraven on my heart until its latest pul

sation."

We need not add that this speech was received with high satisfaction, and that the scene was truly grateful, both to those who gave, and to him who received the compliment.

This magnificent theatre closed a brilliant season on Friday the 26th of June. When the green curtain dropped upon the comedy of the Jealous Wife, Mr. Rae, as Manager, presented himself before the audience, and delivered the

following very appropriate address, ea tempore from the head and heart.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, "The performances of this evening will terminate a season, throughout which it has been our study to cultivate and promote the Legitimate Drama (loud applause) and for the flattering you have approbation with which honoured our efforts, we beg leave to offer our grateful acknowledgments (applause). The successful revivals of ancient authors have been numerous, I may venture to say without a precedent, Among the novelties presented to you, which, with very few exceptions, have been successful also, one has lately appeared, the offspring of the Sister Kingdom, upon which your approbation has betowed a reward, which, we hope, will animate and encourage the efforts of contemporary genius, until the highest tragic honours shall not exclusively belong to our forefathers. This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the cheering retrospect of the past-I will not detain you by a detailed anticipation of the future. The time that may clapse before we meet again shall be employed in preparing for your entertainment, with the same determination to support legitimate taste, native genius, and the national drama (great applause)—venturing to hope for a renewal of your kindness and protection. The performers, Ladies and Gentlemen, beg to offer their sincere thanks for the liberal protection and patronage with which you have honoured then-a continuance of which it will be our study to merit, and our greatest pride to obtain. We respectfully bid you farewell."

We admit the truth of this statement in its more pure and fullest extent. The new management of this theatre have been remarkable, possibly without precedent, for their perseverance in restoring legitimate drama to a kindred preeminence on their classic boards. They have PERSONALLY adapted, as well as revived, the sterling works of departed genius, and graced original thought with a text acceptable to the refinements of the nineteenth century. For these laudable efforts, they have been lampooned by Covent Garden-Psha!

They have moreover testified to the public, that unprotected talent is acces sible to the penetralia of their Green Room; for they have had liberality and discrimination to foster the modest, yet

glowing labours of an obscure indivi dual, by chasing tears from a cheek familiar with sorrow, and gladdening it with incipient joys-joys which, we sincerely hope, may blossom and flourish. Without violating our pledge of candonr, we may surely be permitted, under alt circumstances, to speak of“ Bertram" with benevolent criticism. The piercing eye of Satire might discover many individual blemishes; but, as a whole, we proclaim it to be an unquestionable test of educated talent, every way honourable to the author and to the age, and pregnant with future promise. To Mr. Kean we desire to offer all due praise, for the activity and zeal with which he has, indefatigably, contributed to this splendid improvement in the reputation of the stage. Our various criticisms throughout the past season are fraught with our ambition to do him honour, as the hero of Massinger, of Beaumont and Fletcher, and of our Hibernian bard: we do not consider it our province to pass the person of the drama in general review. Each has had a share in our notice; and although our remarks may have been more agreeable to some than to others, we entreat ALL to believe, that if we do not speciously extenuate, we set down nought with malice. One performer, however, does claim our particular attention-she is a slandered female, deprived of her natural protector, and, therefore, the revered object of our benevolence. We allude to Mrs. Mardyn, an actress of infinte taughter-loving merit, as every one can testify who has witnessed the native playfuluess and arch simplicity with which she has delightfully romped through a variety of interesting characters. Her letter inserted in the Morning Chronicle, is in itself so modest, so unobtrusive, and so pathetically convincing, that we believe every tittle to be true, because we have not heard of any attempt to contradict it, and it bears the stamp of noble ingenuousness-We had almost forgotten to speak of the tragic debutantes of the season. Every female, who, now-a-days, presents a tragic heroine to the stage is expected to be an O'Neill-as if O'Neills sprung up like mushrooms! Mrs. Barnes, notwithstanding, was deserving other treatment than she received: she promised to become an excellent second-rate actress. Miss Murray, without a single stage trick, was young, handsome, accomplished, graceful, and susceptible of every species of improvement. Miss

Grimani, considering her youth, was like the neglected rose-bud, which time would otherwise have expanded into diffusive loveliness. Miss Somerville, nurtured with the tenderness of a hothouse exotic, withers in a premature bloom. This may be quite correct; but is not very comprehensible. We have another complaint, which is, that plays have been sometimes announced, and afterwards changed; so that per sons taking places for one entertainment have found themselves deceived into sitting out another. This disappointment ought to be guarded against with scrupulous care Mr. Rae, as we understand, has been solicited to undertake the future sole management of the stage. We anticipate the public satis. faction at this announcement: because we have frequently witnessed the ardour with which Mr. Rae has been called for whenever accidental malheur disturbed the harmonies of the evening This Manager, upon such occasions, has displayed so gentlemanly a respect for public opinion-insinuated his hopes with so much elegance of diffidence-and pleaded for casual error with so benevo lent a motive-that the charm of reconciliation has united him ever with his audience. A little more time, and his endowments, although not electric, WILL be perfectly understood, and consequently valued. To Mr. Dibdin, on his retirement from this theatre to the Circus, we wish every success. His talents cannot fail to give éclat to his new undertaking; as is manifest from the several good farces he has introduced to Drury Lane. When we spoke of his "What Next," we believe we made some allusion to the German afterpiece of "Der Gefangene" (the Prisoner);" but we now trace it to a more correct sourcee-that of Schiller's Der Neffe als Onkell" (the Nephew as the Uncle): we do not, however, less admire the English dress he has given to that entertaining bagatelle. We deeply lament to add, that the economy prescribed to Drury Lane has compelled the Managers to discharge many old servants. This word-" DISCHARGE"-goes to the heart: Humanity weeps for those families, who, from being unfitted to other callings, may now chance to pine in want and wretchedness.

SHERIDAN IS DEAD!-In that short phrase, we comprehend the loss of the Wit-the Orator-the Politician-the

Man!......of a Wit, who united brilliancy of conception to solidity of judgment with unparalleled grace:-of an Orator, celebrated by Mr. Pitt, as possessing all that genius or art could furnish to agitate and controul the human mind; by Mr. Fox, as having eclipsed the eloquence of the Greek and Roman schools; by Mr. Burke, still more elaborately*" No holy seer, no sage, no statesman, no orator, no man of any description whatever, has come up, in any one instance, to that variety of knowledge, force of imagination, propriety and vivacity of allusion, beauty and elegance of diction, strength and copiousness of style, pathos and sublimity of conception, to which we have this day listened with ardour and admiration. From poetry up to eloquence, there is not a species of composition of which a complete and perfect specimen might not, from that single speech, be called and selected:" of a Politician, who was the firm adherent of party, and the unalterable advocate of liberty:-of a Man, whose life was a capricious association of the sublimity and infirmity of human nature!

Hitherto, we have spoken of this départed Genius, rather from others than from ourselves. We will become personal. Fenelon, the celebrated Archbishop, thus sums up his opinions on the eloquence respectively of Cicero and of Demosthenes: "Je suis charmé de ces deux Orateurs: mais, j'avoue que je suis moins touché de l'art infini et de la magnifique éloquence de Ciceron, que de la rapide simplicité de Demosthene.". Thus, taste gives the palm to Demosthenes, and candour is just to the claims of Cicero. But the eloquence of the latter was enriched by dazzling qualities most congenial with the soul of Sheridan. We, therefore, apply the translated language of Cornelius Severus, on the proscription of Cicero, to the MEMORY of Sheridan!

"The tongue of Latian eloquence is mute; Grief smitten. He, of anxious Romans erst The guard and safety: He, his country's head,

The senate's champion: He, the public

voice

Of right and law; the forum's oracle,
And organ of the gownt Is SILENT NOW!"
J. B. E.

This classic theatre closed on Monday, July 15: At the end of the Opera of Artaxerxes, Mr. Fawcett came forward to address the audience:

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

"The termination of another season calls forth another tribute of grateful acknowledgment from the Proprietors of this theatre for the very liberal encouragement you have afforded them, through a year not the most favourable for theatricals. Supported by a company, whose varied talents you so kindly appreciate, the Proprietors have been enabled to produce both novelties and revivals, with a strength of cast which has insured their attraction. Miss O'Neill, in tragedy, has fully sustained the brilliant reputation she acquired on her appearance last year; and her performance in comedy seems to promise that she will become the favoured child of Thalia, as she is of Melpomene.At the desire of our illustrious Princess (who has graciously condescended to patronize the national drama), Mrs. Siddons re-appeared for a few nights,

* Vide Hasting's Trial.

and with the radiance of her departing beams, illumined the pages of our immortal Bard. To adorn his masterpieces to represent the works of Shakspeare, in a manner worthy of his surpassing genius, is the pride and boast of this Theatre.And it is worthy of remark, that this year, exactly two centuries after Shakspeare's death, one of his most poetic dramas has been restored on the Covent Garden Stage.-Until the second Monday in September, the usual time of re opening, the Proprietors most respectfully bid you farewell. --The Performers, Ladies and Gentlemen, through me, express their grati tude for your uninterrupted kindness and indulgence; and we humbly take our -This speech

leave till next season.".

was extremely well delivered, and received general applause from a house crowded to excess. We, however, do rot join in unqualified greetings. The company at this house is powerfully diffusive in talent; but the managers

+ Mr. Sheridan studied in the Middle Temple; but we believe, was never called to the Bar.